Educators and municipal officials announced a new program this week that will attempt to turn Hudson County residents and college students into the business and public leaders of the future. In a brief press conference on the campus of New Jersey City University, local dignitaries announced the formation of the “Institute for the Advancement of Community Leadership and Service Learning.” The Institute, which is a program and not a school, give students and interested residents internships under the wing of an established county employee or business leader. “We are eager to get this project going,” said Carlos Hernandez, the president of NJCU, Monday. The program will be funded by a $184,285 Urban Revitalization Grant from the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education. “This program will identify the problems that need improvement,” said Carol Ann Wilson, representing County Executive Robert Janiszewski’s office. “And we’re going to be giving [the participants] the tools to solve those problems.” The Institute will focus on developing the collaborative, proactive leadership skills of students and local residents while building a corps of “service learning” professors, students and residents, according to a press release. “We’re going to be cultivating young talent,” said Peter Murphy, president of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, “to contribute to the community.” In addition to the $180,000 grant received from the state Commission on Higher Education, the Institute expects to receive many more grants from interested funding sources. Eliu Rivera, deputy mayor of Jersey City, said that this is the sort of program that would be eligible to apply for a spot on the city’s five-year plan that aids city agencies and programs that help to better the community. According to Jill Lewis, who is the project director for the Institute, the program will involve 30 potential community leaders in each of the two years for which the funding is slated. “That may increase,” she said. Applications for the mentorships will be collected from students at each of the participating schools and from the public. Participating organizations include NJCU, where the program will be headquartered, Hudson County Community College, Saint Peter’s College and Stevens Institute of Technology. In addition, the City of Jersey City, the County of Hudson, Jersey City Housing Authority, Hudson County Chamber of Commerce and Hudson Coalition of Non-Profit Organizations have all stepped up to the plate in support of the initiative. Interested parties can call NJCU at 200-3426.
County initiative to groom civic leaders
